Tampabay.com
DECEMBER 29, 2009

Did Rothstein's law firm grease entry to lucrative Florida bid?

A4s_sink122909_100436c Fort Lauderdale lawyer Scott Rothstein was a Republican ATM. In four years, he and his law firm gave $650,000 to Republican candidates and the state GOP. They gave nothing to Florida's Democratic Party and just a pittance to state candidates.

On Sept. 9, the state Democratic Party received a $200,000 check from Rothstein's firm, money he had pledged to donate at a fundraiser he hosted at his home for Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.

About three weeks after the $200,000 contribution was recorded, Rothstein's firm landed on a list of law firms being considered for potentially lucrative work with the State Board of Administration — with an assist from Sink's chief of staff.

Sink, who with Gov. Charlie Crist and Attorney General Bill McCollum oversees the board, said there was no connection between the contribution and her deputy's intervention for Rothstein's firm. She said she didn't know that her chief of staff had put in a word for the firm until the Times asked her about it. (story here)

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